Thank you for your interest in Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), which owns and operates LAX along with LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys airports.

To help you obtain information as quickly as possible, we have compiled this list of questions frequently asked by travelers and other visitors. If you still have questions after reviewing this information, please feel free to contact us.

Enhanced federally mandated security measures are in place at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The new measures require travelers to be aware of changes in baggage check-in and security screening. They also require extra travel time. Please call your airline to confirm your flight before going to the airport and to receive its recommendation on when you should arrive at the airport. Flight schedules vary throughout the day and, in general, flights scheduled during LAX's daily peak travel periods when more flights are scheduled (6:30 am to 9:00 am for domestic flights, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm for domestic and international flights) will require passengers to allot more time for ticketing, baggage check-in and security screening. To be specific to CA wait time, you can find it here.

No. Federal regulations now prohibit non-ticketed persons beyond passenger security screening at all U.S. airports. Please meet your arriving party in the terminal baggage claim area or terminal curbside. Announcements are made to arriving passengers that they can meet their welcoming parties in these two areas. Airlines will accommodate requests by individuals meeting passengers with special needs, elderly, and unaccompanied minors. Please check with the airlines directly.

LAX's parking lots do not accept parking reservations. LAX provides extensive parking options in the Central Terminal Area (which offers covered parking in structures across from the airline terminals) and in which you are encouraged to use to help avoid vehicle congestion around the terminals.

Lot C, which costs $12 per day, is located at 96th Street and Sepulveda Boulevard. Free LAX shuttle buses will take you directly to your terminal from the perimeter lot, which do not offer covered parking. The shuttle buses operate 24 hours a day at approximately 12-to 15- minute intervals.

For specific parking availability and traffic conditions on the day of your travel, tune in to the LAX Travelers Information Service radio station at AM 530. Or, to view traffic conditions in "real-time" at LAX and on surrounding streets, log onto http://trafficinfo.lacity.org/html/lax.html. To find out more about LAX parking, visit www.lawa.org > lax > parking.

To increase the convenience, speed and reliability of your trip to LAX, you might want to consider other options other than driving to get to the airport. You can obtain information about a number of transportation alternatives at www.lawa.org > lax > Ground Transportation.

Extra-wide parking spaces, identified by symbol or marked "Disabled Parking," are conveniently located immediately adjacent to elevators on every level of all LAX terminal parking structures.

Vehicles with disabled placards or license plates have always been allowed to park in the parking structures where preferential locations near ramps and elevators have been designated for their exclusive use.

In addition, economy-rate parking for the disabled, with free shuttle bus service (on approximately 12- to 15-minute intervals) to and from airline terminals, is available in perimeter Lot C. You can find more information on parking for the disabled at www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=350.

You can access a number of ground transportation options at LAX, including rental cars, taxis, long-distance vans, door-to-door shuttle vans, direct-to-airport buses, public buses, the Metro Rail Green Line (light rail), and the Van Nuys FlyAway Bus.

To use the free shuttle service to the Metro Rail Green Line Aviation Station, wait under the LAX Shuttle & Airline Connections blue sign, and board the "G" Shuttle.

To reach a car parked in LAX's economy-rate perimeter parking lot C, wait on the Lower/Arrival Level under the blue sign LAX Shuttle and Airline Connection the "C" Shuttle. These shuttle buses run on approximately 12- to 15-minute intervals. You also can take the "C" Shuttle to get to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Bus Center, where you can board city buses serving the Los Angeles area. Information on city bus services is available by telephone on the Information Display Board in the baggage claim area in each terminal.

For a complete list of LAX ground transportation alternatives, go to www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=132. Or, for details on a specific ground transportation option, including an explanation of which van companies and buses serve which areas, please click on any of the following selections (listed in alphabetical order):

Hotel & Parking Lot ShuttlesMany major airport-area hotels and privately operated parking lots provide courtesy transportation from LAX terminals. Stops for trams and shuttles for hotels and privately operated parking lots are located on the Lower/Arrival Level islands in front of each terminal under the red sign Hotel & Parking Lot Shuttles.

Long Distance VansThe following long distance van company provides service from LAX to areas generally outside of Los Angeles County. You are encouraged to contact the company first for more information. This van will pick up passengers on the Lower/Arrival Level islands in front of each terminal under the green sign Buses & Long Distance Vans.

Click on the company name in this list for contact information.

Roadrunner Shuttle - Travels to Simi Valley (about 44 miles, or 71 kilometers, northwest of LAX), and to Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties (both northwest of LAX), with the drive taking from about one to two hours depending on the specific destination.

Public Transportation (public buses and light rail)Free shuttle bus service is provided to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority - Metro Rail Green Line Aviation Station. If you wish to use this shuttle bus service, please wait under the LAX Shuttle & Airline Connections blue sign on the Lower/Arrival Level islands in front of each terminal, and board the "G" Shuttle.

You also can take the "C" Shuttle from the same pick-up point to get to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Bus Center, where you can board city buses serving the Los Angeles area. Information on city bus services is available by telephone on the Information Display Board in the baggage claim area in each terminal. In addition, you can obtain local transit information by calling (800) 266-6883.

To plan a trip using public transportation, click here to access the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority's Trip Planner Service.

Rental CarsApproximately 40 rental car companies operate out of LAX, with vehicle rental sites located off the airport. Many of these rental car companies provide phone links inside the Lower/Arrival Level area of the terminals so you can request a shuttle pick up to reach the rental car sites.

Ten rental car companies are permitted to pick-up and drop-off their customers directly from the airline terminals using courtesy shuttles. These are the following companies:

Advantage

Alamo

Avis

Budget

Dollar

Enterprise

Hertz

Fox/Payless

National

Thrifty

These companies are allowed to meet arriving customers under the purple sign "Rental Car Shuttles" on the Lower/Arrival level islands outside baggage claim.

Customers of other rental car companies should contact their rental car companies of choice using the Ground Transportation Telephone Boards in baggage claim areas of each terminal to arrange for pick-up.

These customers will use the free LAX Shuttle Bus to reach the Off-Airport Rental Car Terminal to meet their rental car courtesy shuttle. Customers should meet the LAX Shuttle Bus "Lot C" on the Lower/Arrivals level island under the sign for LAX Shuttle to travel to the rental car terminal.

Scheduled BusesThe following scheduled buses provide service from LAX to various parts of Los Angeles and some surrounding regions. You are encouraged to contact the companies first for more information. These buses pick up passengers on the Lower/Arrival Level islands in front of each terminal under the green sign Buses & Long Distance Vans.

Click on each company name in this list for contact information.

Airport Bus - Travels to Pasadena (home of the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade), about 28 miles (45 kilometers) northeast of LAX; to Anaheim (where Disneyland is located), about 32 miles (51 kilometers) southeast of LAX; and to Buena Park (where Knott's Berry Farm is located), approximately 28 miles (45 kilometers) southeast of LAX.

Antelope Valley Airport Express - Travels to Newhall, Palmdale and Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, with Lancaster (the furthest location) approximately 75 miles (121 kilometers) north of LAX.

Metropolitan Express - Travels to downtown Los Angeles and to Union Station, about 19 miles (31 kilometers) northeast of LAX.

Santa Barbara Airbus - Travels to Santa Barbara, plus nearby Goleta and Carpinteria. The drive to these areas (located northwest of LAX, along the sea coast) from the airport usually takes between one and a half to two hours.

Ventura County Airporter - Travels to Ventura and Oxnard, on the sea coast about one hour to one hour and a half northwest of LAX.

Shared Ride VansTwo shared ride van companies, Prime Time Shuttle and SuperShuttle, operate out of LAX and are authorized to serve all Southern California counties. You are encouraged to contact the companies first for more information. (Click on the company names above for contact information.) These vans pick up passengers on the Lower/Arrival Level islands in front of each terminal under the orange sign Shared Ride Vans.

TaxisTaxis can be found curbside on the Lower/Arrival Level islands in front of each terminal under the yellow sign indicating Taxis. You will be presented with a ticket stating typical fares to major destinations. Only authorized taxis with an official seal issued by City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation on each vehicle are permitted in the airport. It is illegal for any transportation services to solicit fares, and travelers using such services do so at their own risk.

When you take a taxi from LAX, you will be presented with a ticket stating typical fares to major destinations. Only authorized taxis with an official seal, illustrated on each vehicle, are permitted in the airport.

Rates for buses, shared ride vans and long distance vans vary depending on where you are traveling, so you may want to check with the companies first on prices. (See the response to the question, "What kind of ground transportation is there at LAX?" for details on the different types of buses and shared ride and long distance vans available at the airport.)

The Metropolitan Express (private) bus and Metro Bus (public) routes #439 and #42 travels from LAX to downtown Los Angeles and to Union Station (train), which is only about 2 miles (over 3 kilometers) from the Los Angeles Greyhound Bus Terminal. You can board the Metropolitan Express (private) on the Lower/Arrival Level islands in front of each terminal under the green sign indicating Buses & Long Distance Vans. You can board the Metro Bus (public) at the LAX City Bus Center located in remote parking Lot C on 96th Street and Sepulveda Blvd.

For your information, the Los Angeles Union Train Station Passenger Terminal is located at 800 North Alameda Street in downtown Los Angeles (zip code 90012), approximately 19 miles (31 kilometers) from LAX. The downtown Los Angeles Greyhound Bus Terminal is located at 1716 East 7th Street (zip code 90021), also about 19 miles (31 kilometers) from LAX.

You also can obtain a public transit itinerary for travel anywhere in Southern California, including from LAX to other rail and bus travel hubs, at Metro Trip Planner. This link also is accessible from LAX's website (under Bus & Rail Trip Planner) at www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=256.

Frequent, free shuttle bus service is provided between terminals (approximately every 12 to 15 minutes) to assist travelers in getting from one terminal to another. To use this service, board the Airline Connections "A" Shuttle under the LAX Shuttle & Airline Connections blue sign on the Lower/Arrival Level islands in front of each terminal.

If you decide to walk from one terminal to another, please look at the terminal map first at www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=246 to get an idea of how far you need to go. For assistance in properly printing out this map, click on Help on How to Print on the map page for instructions.

The primary reasons for closing the metered lots were two-fold: (1) enhanced security by removing large vendor delivery trucks from terminal curbside and (2) the cost to operate the metered parking lots was continuing to rise and outstrip the revenues received from the meters. So, to a small degree, the cost for labor-intensive Airport Police resources to enforce parking lot use (not to exceed 2 hours) and to ensure legitimate use of disabled placard use, did contribute to the increased operating costs.

While LAX does not offer shower or exercise facilities, some gymnasiums are located near the airport. Check local phone listings to find more information. You will need ground transportation to visit one of these sites.

In addition, many airport-area hotels offer discount rates for their exercise facilities. Airport-area hotels can be found at www.lawa.org/welcomeLAX.aspx. Once at that site, click on the Inside the Airport tab on the left-hand side of the page and select Hotels. Then, when you get to the page listing all of the LAX-area hotels, you can click on any one of the hotel names for contact information.

You can access a map of the entire LAX Central Terminal Area at www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=246. Once at that website page, you can view and print maps of each individual terminal by clicking on the appropriate area on the overall map. If you want to print the map, click on Help on How to Print on the main map page for instructions.

Contact your airline first if you have a problem with lost suitcases or other items. Then check with restaurants, taxis, buses and other service areas you visited before contacting LAX Lost and Found at (424) 646-5678 (LOST). The Lost and Found hours are Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Pacific time. It is located at 5600 W. Century Blvd.

Phone numbers for restaurants, taxis, buses and other service areas can be found through the LAX Tenant Directory. To access this, go to www.lawa.org/welcomeLAX.aspx and click on the Tenant Directory tab on the left-hand side of the page. Then, when you get to the Tenant Directory page, select the category of your choice and hit Search to obtain a list of companies in that category. Finally, click on any company name to obtain company contact information.

Volunteers -- called Volunteer Information Professionals or VIPs -- are located in information booths in each terminal on the Lower/Arrivals areas from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. Easily found in their bright red jackets, the volunteers assist passengers with directions to various airport and community facilities; transportation and accommodations; and other airport-related information. For more info or if you’d like to volunteer, please contact vip@lawa.org or (424)646-VIP1 (8471).

Many hotels are located within a mile (about one and a half kilometers) or less of LAX. Some (but not all) of the major streets with hotels on them include Airport Boulevard, Century Boulevard, La Cienega Boulevard, Manchester Boulevard, and Sepulveda Boulevard. You can find a list of more than 40 local hotels by going to www.lawa.org/welcomeLAX.aspx and clicking on the Hotels tab on the left-hand side of the page. Once you get to the page listing all of the LAX-area hotels, you can click on any of the hotel names for contact information.

For a more complete list of hotels throughout Southern California, go to the LA Inc. The Convention & Visitors Bureau website at www.visitlosangeles.info/index.jsp and select the Accommodations link.

Numerous rental car companies serve LAX. For the names of these companies, go to www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=132, and click on the Rental Cars link. Doing so will bring up a list of rental car companies. You then can click on each one of the names for company contact information.

Travelers need to contact airlines directly, or go through a travel agent, for fares and flight schedules. For a list of airlines at LAX, go to LAX Airlines, and click on List of Airlines. Then select an airline to obtain its contact information.

The amount of time it takes to get from one terminal to another depends on which terminals you are going to and from, and the time of day during which you are traveling. Your airline can give you some guidance on how much time to allow for connection to another flight.

In addition, you can look at the LAX terminal map at www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=246 to get an idea of how far you need to go to catch your next flight. (For assistance in properly printing out this map, click on Help on How to Print on the map page for instructions.)

To use LAX's frequent, free shuttle bus service between terminals to assist you in making a connection, board the Airline Connections "A" Shuttle (which operates on 12- to 15-minute intervals) under the LAX Shuttle & Airline Connections blue sign on the Lower/Arrival Level islands in front of each terminal. During peak travel periods, such as holidays, please allow extra time for travel between terminals in case some shuttle buses are full.

If you arrive on a flight at Terminals 5, 6, 7, or 8 and connecting to another flight within these terminals, you do not have to exit the secured side of TSA screening as these terminals are linked with passageways. However, if you arrive on a flight at Terminals 1, 2, 3, or the Tom Bradley International Terminals and connecting to a flight at Terminals 5, 6, 7, or 8, you have to exit the secured side of TSA screening and the terminal and walk across to the terminal or board the Airline Connections “A” Shuttle (which operates on 12-15 minute intervals) under the LAX Shuttle & Airline Connections blue sign on the Lower/Arrivals Level islands in front of each terminal.

Please note that if your connecting flight requires you to exit the secured side of TSA screening and leave the terminal, TSA’s 3-1-1 policy for liquids and gels still applies as you will have to go through security screening again. If you purchased liquids or gels at a previous airport, pack them in your checked baggage if possible.

How do I get directions to LAX and to the airport's perimeter parking lots?

You can find a general map showing LAX's location in relation to other parts of the greater Los Angeles region at www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=256. If you click on the flashing yellow LAX area on this map, you can view another map showing the various LAX parking locations.

For directions to the airport from a specific location, go to www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=256. Once there, click on the Directions from LAX link to access an interactive map. Utilize the Use Address option on the map (both for origin and destination), and input the address from which you are departing. For LAX's address, in the destination section input 1 World Way (street address), LosAngeles (city), CA (state), and 90045 (zip code). Then hit Calculate Directions (after selecting the route type and display options) to receive your directions.

LAX's economy-rate perimeter Parking Lot C is very close to the airport. Lot C is located at 96th Street and Sepulveda Boulevard. The LAX website interactive map will give you directions if you input these cross streets in the street address destination field (along with Los Angeles as the city and CA as the state). Please be aware Parking Lot C does not take reservations. When you park in Lot C, free shuttle buses that operate around the clock (on 12-15 minute intervals) will take you directly to your terminal. Travelers wishing to use covered parking for their vehicles at the airport can find such parking in the structures across from the terminals in LAX's Central Terminal Area.

It is easy to find out using the interactive map on LAX's website. Go to www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=256, and click on the Directions from LAX link. The LAX address information already will be input in the origin section. Keep the Use Address option for the first destination tab, and then just type in your destination (street address, city and state), select the route type and display options, and hit Calculate Directions to obtain the information you need.

Go to www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=256 and click on the Directions from LAX link. The LAX address information already will be input in the origin section. For all of the other airport destinations, keep the first destination tab on Use Address, and then input the following:

For short layovers, travelers can visit the LAX Theme Building and Observation Deck, which offers spectacular views of the airport and surrounding landscape. The Observation Deck is located in the middle of the Central Terminal Area and is open the second weekend ONLY of each month on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Theme Building also houses the City Deli public cafeteria on the ground level. Shopping areas are located within a few miles/kilometers of LAX in the Westchester community, and several beach areas (including Venice Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach) are located approximately 5 to 7 miles (8 to 11 kilometers) south of the airport. Also, Dockweiler Beach is adjacent to LAX. If you want to visit one of these sites, you will need to use a taxi or other form of ground transportation, which you can find out about at www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=132. (Also see the answer to the question titled, "What kind of ground transportation is there at LAX?" for additional details.)

Depending on the length of your layover, you also may want to visit the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Board website (www.lacvb.com), which provides extensive information on things to do in various parts of Los Angeles.

When making plans during a layover, however, please remember that traffic is sometimes congested around the airport. In Los Angeles, typical time of travel is a more important factor than actual distance between LAX and the place you are visiting. It is important to allow sufficient time to return to LAX in time for your flight. Please ask an airline agent when your airline’s check-in counter recommends you return.

Every airport today has a unique three-letter identifier to streamline the process of tracking the millions of items of airport data transmitted daily, including flight plans and weather reports.

Before the 1930s, existing airports used a two-letter abbreviation based on the weather station at the airports. So, at that time, LA served as the designation for Los Angeles International Airport. But, with the rapid growth in the aviation industry, the designations expanded to three letters, and LA became LAX. The letter X does not otherwise have any specific meaning in this identifier.

Go to www.lawa.org/welcome_lawa.aspx?id=146. This page contains links to information about Requests for Proposals, bids, and vendor requirements, plus links to electronic copies of required forms and more.

Positions at LAX are filled through opportunities offered by both government and private employers. Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), which owns and operates LAX, uses the civil service examination process conducted by the City of Los Angeles Personnel Department.

If you are interested in employment with a private company, such as an airline based at LAX, contact that company directly for current opportunities. You can obtain company contact information through the LAX Tenant Directory. To access this, go to http://www.lawa.org/tenantLAX.aspx and type on the Tenant Name. Finally, click on any company name to obtain company contact information.

Full-time and part-time passenger and baggage security screening positions at Los Angeles International Airport and Ontario International Airport are currently available with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), an agency of the U.S. government. If you would like more information about these positions or are interested in applying for a TSA job, please contact:

Because LAX is operated by the City of Los Angeles, the city sets policies on issues like advertising. Currently, the city does not permit commercial advertising or organization displays at the airport.

Located about 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of downtown Los Angeles, and 55 miles (89 kilometers) east of LAX, Ontario International Airport is a medium-hub, full-service airport with commercial jet service to major U.S. cities and through service to many international destinations. (Like LAX, Ontario International Airport is owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles.) For more information about flights and passenger services at Ontario International Airport, visit www.lawa.org/welcomeONT.aspx.

Yes, LAX has small "Pet Parks" on the Lower/Arrivals Level of the Central Terminal area between Terminals 1-2 and at the southeast end of the Central Terminal Area near Terminals 7-8 (United Airlines) where pets can take a potty break. There's a little dog house there and a stand with plastic bags so owners can clean up after their animals, and a trash can. Pets cannot run free (i.e., unleashed) at the Terminals 7-8 location because it is still in the Central Terminal Area and the roadway runs alongside it. There is also a “Pet Park” beyond passenger security screening in the new Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT).